Reichard & Escalera’s labor and employment professionals work closely with our corporate clients in their day to day management of their human resources. Our goal is to ensure that, when making decisions that affect their employees, our clients are well informed as to the applicable employment laws and regulations and any pertinent legal risks. Beyond providing the legal background and necessary compliance tools, we also strive to assist our clients in making decisions that are compatible with a healthy management of their human resources.
Our experience includes the following areas:
> designing personnel policies, employee handbooks and job descriptions
> crafting employment contracts, independent contractor arrangements and severance packages
> integrating equal employment opportunity principles in the making of employment decisions
> implementing the concept of progressive discipline
> design and planning of employee evaluations
> addressing compliance issues related to employees with disabilities
> ensuring compliance with mandatory leave and benefits
> applying wage and hour principles, including determination of exempt status
> planning for and conducting internal investigations
> conducting internal personnel and payroll audits to identify areas of potential legal exposure
> planning reductions in force and transfers of ongoing concerns, and presenting workshops and seminars to managers and staff regarding legal aspects pertinent to their duties, including sexual harassment
> collective bargaining
In the area of employment litigation our goal is to vigorously represent our client’s interests, taking litigation to its ultimate consequences if the client so desires, or positioning the case to obtain the most favorable out-of-court resolution, if the client prefers. Our experience in this area includes claims of:
> discrimination and harassment
> wage and hour violations
> breach of contract
> libel and slander
> malicious prosecution
> violation of constitutional rights
> job reservation and reinstatement
> wrongful termination
> reasonable accommodation
We defend employers before local and federal courts. We also represent them in procedures before the Bureau of Labor Standards, the Anti-Discrimination Unit, the Bureau of Unemployment Benefits, the Industrial Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board, among other agencies.